rails

I like the way that the Birch Run Terrain Park is laid out. Features are set up side by side, so you have an option. The top two features are both funboxes, which is a warm up for the features to come. The funbox is wider than a rail, so it’s easier to keep your balance. The remaining four features are all rails, which will test try balance. Terrain parks are now my strong point, but I respect the skills it takes to ride the rail

Last night we made snow on Upper Rumrunner and Black Snake. We have two lifts operating, Sterling and Sir Henry’s Magic Carpet. 7 out of the 8 open trails will be groomed for tomorrow, that’s 28 acres of freshly groomed terrain.

The Rail Jam today was to benefit the Molly Rowlee Fund, which supports families with children who are undergoing treatment for cancer. It was snowing pretty hard and the snowflakes were huge. The new snow was a little sticky which slowed the down the skiers and riders. Ray Wells and Rick Witham were raking the new snow out of the way to allow the competitors more speed to hit the different features. Mike McAdoo did a great job setting up the rails for different ability levels. The easier rails were on rider’s right and the harder rails were on rider’s left. One rail that I really liked was called the swing set, which is pictured here. It’s a rainbow rail that is wide at the bottom and thin at the top. It was so much fun to watch the skiers and riders get creative with this feature. One snowboarder did not have enough speed to get up and over so they reached down to pull themselves to the top of the rail. The Jam had a great vibe with pink bikinis, a pink tutu, pink mustaches, pink jackets, pink pants, pink hats and even a pink scarf to show support for cancer awareness. I want to thank the Manning Family for all they do to support wonderful events like this one. This rail jam really was a good time for a great cause!

Hugh Johnson

Hello skiers and riders! Thanks for checking out my blog. I've been skiing Smuggs since I was a young 'un, when my family moved to Vermont and made the resort a temporary home base. Full circle — now I'm introducing my own family to the mountain! Each day you'll find an entry and photo on mountain conditions and happenings, highlighting the great terrain we have spread over three mountains and the awesome adventures that skiers and riders of all ages can have out there! You'll also hear from Rockin' Ron Carter a couple days during the week. Maybe you'll spot him on his favorite run — Pirate's Plank on Sterling Mountain. We'll be out there on the slopes, and hope to see you — thanks for skiing and riding Smuggs!